Wonderful stories, happy endings’: The goals and expectations of foster parenting in Gaston County

Monday

Jan 6, 2014 at 12:01 AMJan 6, 2014 at 3:45 PM

Andrea Honaker

PART ONE: This is part one of a two-part series on foster parenting in Gaston County. Part two will be published on Jan. 14 on the Family front. Click here to read the second part.

In Gaston County, 203 children are currently being nurtured, cared for and supported through the foster care system.

Sixty-seven children are in therapeutic homes, 35 in foster homes supervised by Gaston Department of Health and Human Services, and 33 in other agencies’ foster homes, according to DHHS.

There are 41 DHHS-licensed foster homes in the county, but staff members are trying to recruit more. For the selfless individuals and families that choose to open their houses to children in need, it can be a challenging and difficult task, but one that’s also necessary and perhaps even fulfilling.

“There are wonderful people out there doing great things for kids. There’s an infinite amount of wonderful stories, happy endings,” said Joseph Shepherd, Gaston DHHS foster home licensing social worker.

Goals: DHHS’ Adoptions and Foster Home Licensing branches work to establish foster homes and place children in the most fitting setting.

“Our goal is to recruit foster parents, provide the kids that come into custody with appropriate homes, good placements to help with their development, keep them in good safe homes,” Shepherd said.

Some people who want to adopt a child think foster parenting is the place to start; however, DHHS’ purpose is a little different than that.

“The primary goal is to send children back home, to reunify them with their biological family,” said Katie Sheets, adoptions and foster home licensing supervisor. “What we’re asking our foster parents to do is to be a support in that.”

And DHHS statistics from July 2011 to December 2013 show the majority of children returned to a relative’s care. Seventy four children, or 23 percent, were reunited with their parents during that time, and 74 were placed under the custody or guardianship of a relative. Twenty percent, 62 children, were adopted.

“When kids come available for adoptions, sometimes they’re in foster homes that are willing to adopt them,” Shepherd said. “But when they’re not, it’s our job to weed through a large number of applicants who would like these children to find the home that we feel is the best for them long term.”

Shared parenting: With assistance from foster parents, children are more likely to be reunited with their biological parents, said Melanie Lowrance, program coordinator for Children & Family Services at Gaston DHHS. The biological and foster parents can join together in “a shared parenting” scenario where everyone is involved in the child’s life, said Tennille Martin, foster home licensing social worker.

Sometimes, foster parents can continue to be a part of the child’s life and act as a support system for the biological family even after reunification. There have been cases where foster parents have gone on to become godparents for a child, Sheets said. But, it’s ultimately up to the families to decide how the relationship continues.

“Kids tend to fare better and have better outcomes as adults when they group up with their own family,” Lowrance said.

Requirements: “Our biggest hurdle is recruitment, which is finding appropriate people to be foster parents. We have a lot of people who are willing or want to be, but aren’t so much fitting,” Shepherd said.

Many people have good intentions and really want to help, but they often don’t know all of the facts and requirements or how difficult being a foster parent can be, Sheets said.

Foster parents must be at least 21 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. There is no maximum age requirement; however, applicants must undergo a health exam to ensure they are physically able to care for children. Applicants must also have stable income and housing.

They can be single, divorced or married, although both partners must be involved if it’s a couple.

Expectations: Each child is assigned a foster care social worker, who visits the home at least once a month. In addition, a foster home licensing staff member stops by at least once every four months.

“You almost live in a glass house when you’re a foster parent,” Sheets said. “You have social workers in and out, kids in and out. Sometimes it’s unannounced, so that can be challenging as well just to open up your home.”

The foster parent receives financial assistance for some, but not all, of the child’s costs.

“Some people think that people get in it just for the money. You’re not making money off the kids,” Shepherd said.

The agency provides Medicaid, day care and stipends, which range from $475 a month for children up to age 5 to $634 a month for 12 and older. It comes down to only $15-$20 per day, Lowrance said.

See next week’s Family front for part two of the foster parenting series, which will address the necessary character traits for foster parents and the training, paperwork and checks for applicants.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A FOSTER PARENT?

To find out more about foster parenting or to attend a training session: Contact Joseph Shepherd, 704-862-6655 or Joseph.Shepherd@gastongov.com, or Tennille Martin, 704-862-6729 or Tennille.Martin@gastongov.com.

Session 1 of the foster parent training course, called the Model Approach to Partnership and Parenting (MAPP) program, will be offered from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 18 and 25, and Feb. 1, 8 and 22 at the Social Services auditorium, 330 N. Marietta St., Gastonia. Information will be handed out and questions answered during the beginning portion of the class, and the remaining time will be for the MAPP material.

For more information: Visit www.gastongov.com/departments/health-and-human-services/social-services-division/children-family-services/adoptions-foster-care or “Foster and Adopt-Gaston County DHHS” on Facebook.